Present invention embodiments are related to systems, methods and computer program products for automating verification of one or more chains of credentials. In particular, present invention embodiments relate to systems, methods and computer program products for automating verification of one or more chains of credentials for entities and for detecting loops in the chains as well as other conflicts of interest.
Often people falsify credentials on their resumes in order to gain an edge in a competitive job market. This could be a critical problem if the falsified credentials include professional credentials such as credentials of a medical professional. Before making a donation to a charity, people may wish to verify the credentials of the charity to determine whether the charity is legitimate or a scam. Before investing in a business or organization, one would like to certify whether the business, the organization, or a person with whom one may do business is trustworthy.
In online career networks, people may be asked to endorse their peers regarding knowledge in certain fields. Generally, these endorsements are not verified, thereby making the endorsements unreliable. Further, some people offer an endorsement to others in return for an endorsement that is not verified. Because the endorsement is unverified, an endorser could provide an endorsement regarding subject matter with which the endorser is totally unfamiliar.
Often, verification of credentials may be attempted by performing a simple search for credentials using a popular search engine. However, people familiar with search techniques know that such verifications can be falsified and biased by unverifiable credentials.
Some people may rely on social networks to verify authenticity of people, organizations and charities. However, verifying entities on the social network may often be unknown and verification of the verifying entities' credentials may be difficult or impossible.